IPA: /ˈtrʌkəl/
KK: /ˈtrʌkəl/
To behave in a submissive or overly obedient manner, often to gain favor or avoid conflict.
He tends to truckle to his boss, always agreeing with her even when he disagrees.
Past: truckled
Past Participle: truckled
A small wheel or roller that is often used to support or help move something, like furniture or equipment.
The table was easy to move because it had truckles underneath.
Truckle comes from the Middle English 'truckle' (meaning to yield or submit), which is derived from the Old French 'troquer' (meaning to barter or exchange). The word originally referred to a small wheel or roller, and by extension, it came to mean yielding or submitting, as in being rolled over or pushed down.
Think of someone yielding or submitting, like a small wheel ('truckle') rolling over easily — that’s why truckle means to submit or yield.